‘Major terror strike’ foiled say security experts
Indian Security forces killed four Pakistan trained terrorists in a swift operation after an encounter at Ban Toll Plaza on Jammu-Srinagar national highway near Nagrota in Jammu district in the early hours of the morning of 19 November. Two policemen of the Special Operations Group – Kuldeep Raj (32) of Akhnoor in Jammu district and Mohammad Ishaq Malik (40) of Neel Qasim Banihal in Ramban district – were also injured in the exchange of fire. Both have been admitted in Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu with neck injuries. Their condition is said to be stable.
Accfording to a report on Times Now, the four terrorists were captured Surore Toll Naka when they were hiding in a truck which had stopped to pay the toll charges. At about 3.40 AM, for a minute and a half the truck was captured on CCTV while the terrorists hid in it. As they advanced on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway, an encounter between terrorists and security forces started around 4.50 am at Ban Toll Plaza.
Mukesh Singh, IG Police Jammu Zone told reporters the truck was ferrying the terrorists to Kashmir.
“It was put to checking by the policemen at the toll plaza because we had intelligence inputs with us,” Singh said.
Mr Singh further said, “in the exchange of fire four terrorists were eliminated and two constables were injured. Terrorists lobbed grenades on security forces during checking. The truck also caught fire and few grenades also exploded inside it during the exchanges”.
“The area is now being sanitised” he added.
The authorities believes and it has credible intelligence – that Pakistan is trying to ramp up terrorist activities in the state in the run-up to the District Development Council (DDC)elections. Security forces were getting intelligence inputs of possible infiltration by Pakistan terrorists.
The encounter started when the truck was stopped for checking at the Ban toll plaza. As the police started a look in, the driver fled from the spot. The police and the CRPF team smelt the rat. As soon as a joint team of police and the CRPF started checking the vehicle, a heavy volume of firing commenced. Security forces immediately started retaliating. The terrorists also lobbed grenades at the security personnel.
11 AK 47 rifles, three pistols, 29 live grenades, six UBGL grenades, mobile phones, compass, pithy bags and other ammunition were recovered from the slain terrorists.
“Medicines with Pakistani markings show Pak origin of terrorists. The quantity of weapons and type of medicines also indicate fresh infiltration and them being suicide attackers,” Inspector General of Police Mukesh Singh added.
Security experts say the slain ultras belonged to Jaish-e-Mohammad terror outfit.
The whole operation lasted for three hours.
An FIR under relevant sections of the Arms Act has been registered against those four terrorists killed near Nagrota at the Nagrota police station.
Security analysts say looking at the proximity of 26/11 of 2020, it appears these terrorists were given a task to carry out a major terror strike.